June is PTSD Awareness Month – The Power of Purpose and Healing

A guest post by Public Safety Program Coordinator Lora Setter

For those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), having purpose aids in recovery. People that dedicate their lives to public safety are often called to it, wanting to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves. Treatment professionals recommend that for those who suffer from PTSD it’s important for them to keep working so they can benefit from “the power of purpose.” 

For some, to keep working might mean having different job duties for a time or having a modified work schedule. It definitely means being in a highly supportive culture where emotional well-being is paramount.

You can find information about helping staff to keep working or getting them back to work in the Creating Supportive Work Environments section of the PTSD and Mental Health Toolkit. 

I recently participated in two trainings that can help to promote cultures of emotional well-being. “Shield of Resilience” from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) is a training for police officers and “MnFIRE Emotional Wellness Training” from the Minnesota Firefighter Initiative (MnFIRE) is a training for firefighters. Below is information about each:

Shield of Resilience Training Course
The Shield of Resilience Training is a free online training that takes about one hour to complete. It addresses the unique stressors that law enforcement officers are exposed to, as well as:

• How to recognize the signs and symptoms of acute and chronic stress, depression, and PTSD.
• The signs and symptoms of suicidal ideation and how to talk with a fellow officer who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts.
• How to facilitate peer-to-peer behavioral health support.
• The resources and support tools that help build resiliency.
• Where to find help and support.

MnFIRE Emotional Wellness Training
MNFire’s Emotional Support Training is offered both online and in person. This course discusses how the stresses of being a firefighter can negatively impact mental health. It debunks the stigma that those who suffer from mental health injuries are weak. This class will help destigmatize talking about mental health in your department, as well as provide practical information around how to properly debrief after a difficult call with your team, ways to maintain emotional well-being, and resources available for those who need help.

In the next issue of Minnesota Cities magazine, League of Minnesota Cities Executive Director Dave Unmacht shares his thoughts about the importance of supporting employee well-being, and Jordan City Council Member Amanda Schuh writes about what city councils can do to support the mental health of public safety personnel in their communities. 

It’s been a tough time. Going forward, let’s work together to promote supportive cultures of emotional well-being for our public safety employees. Let’s find ways to help those suffering from PTSD to keep working, so that we can help them heal. 

Up next: The National Decertification Index (NDI)

In the meantime, be well -
Lora

Background Investigations and the Minnesota Human Rights Act

City police departments have access to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) criminal history information database for law enforcement duties. However, access to the database has also proven useful for other city functions — including access for city job applicants (for employment, volunteers, and independent contractors), liquor license applicants, and peddler license applicants. 

Cities must be aware that it is important for the city to access the data appropriately, determine whether the data is classified as private or public, and to understand what will and will not be provided in the way of criminal history information. It is also important to note, candidates for election to public office by the voters are not considered “applicants for employment.”

Under  Minn. Stat. § 299C.72, police departments are statutorily authorized to use the data for employment and certain license checks, although cities are required to receive the informed consent of the individual being investigated. Also, the criminal history data cannot be disseminated, and the data must be maintained securely in the police department (not by any other city department). The informed consent form should indicate that the person understands the background search may include a search of all public records and that the person consents to the search. 

Additionally, the police agency can only share whether there is a criminal history that would prevent the hire or issuance of a license to the appropriate decision-makers within the city. Ideally, the hiring authority has determined in advance which types of crimes will be disqualifying and conveyed that to the police department before the background check is done. The police department cannot conduct driver’s license checks for employment purposes, as their access to Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) data is restricted for “law enforcement purposes” only.

Minnesota Human Rights Act

The Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) under Minn. Stat. § 363A.08 subd. 4(1), states that no document which has date of birth, gender, or race information will be included in the information given to or available to any person who is involved in selecting the person or persons employed other than the background investigator. 

Also, no person may act as both background investigator and be involved in the selection of an employee except that the background investigator's report about background may be used in that selection as long as no direct or indirect references are made to the applicant's race, age, or gender. In other words, it could be an unfair discriminatory practice relating to employment for anyone that is involved in the selection process (police chief, city administrator/manager, human resources, or city council member, etc.) to also be involved as the background investigator. 

The League of Minnesota Cities has developed an informational memo and model policy to help cities comply with the provisions of this law and ensure the city has a well-considered process in place. 

Additionally, the Minnesota BCA performs statutorily required and discretionary criminal history record checks for a fee. A city may receive more information with which to make hiring decisions by going through the BCA, and the city will need to determine which statute applies in order to use the appropriate consent form and access the appropriate data through the BCA. 

Some of the statutorily required background checks include those completed:

• for employment as a licensed police officer or for a position leading to employment as a licensed peace officer before the applicant may be employed (626.87), 
• by school hiring authorities (123B.03), 
• agencies that employ private security personnel (326.336), 
• organizations that work with children, the elderly, or disabled (Serve America Act), 
• rental property owners (including cities) who hire individuals to manage their property (299C.66 - 71), 
• fire department employees under 299F.035, and 
• children service workers under the Child Protection Background Check Act (299C.60 - 64). 

Additional information about these statutorily-required background checks can be found here. 

The League also offers some great overview information on related background checks — including internet searches, social media checks, reference checks, and education verifications — in Chapter 2 of the HR Reference Manual (on hiring), which can be found here. 

If you have any questions, you may contact me at tstille@lmc.org or give me a call at (651) 215-4051.

Remember: Responder Safety = Public Safety

Up next: June is PTSD Awareness Month – The Power of Purpose and Healing

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful -
Tracy    

Move Over Laws and Responder Safety

A guest post by LMCIT Public Safety Specialist Troy Walsh

I am hoping that by now you are familiar with the Minnesota Ted Foss Move Over Law — M.S. 169.18 Subd. 11? These are specific laws that help stopped emergency vehicles with flashing lights activated by requiring drivers to move over and leave an empty lane between their vehicle and emergency vehicles. This law was put in place to help protect Minnesota’s first responders while working on our roadways.

Laws and enforcement are not always the end-all of violations or violators because the public is more distracted today than ever. The state of Minnesota and lawmakers have worked for many years to make everyone safer on the roads, including first responders.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on Move Over Laws and Responder Safety. Despite Move Over laws in every state, first responders remain at risk for being killed or injured by passing vehicles at roadside emergencies. 

In December 2020, the GAO reported to Congress on the impact of state Move Over laws. State officials cited raising public awareness as the most prevalent challenge, as motorists may not know the law exists or its specific requirements. Read the GAO's report here.

The U.S. Fire Administration and Public Education

The U.S. Fire Administration reports that 12% of on-duty firefighter fatalities occur each year while responding to or returning from incidents, with the majority of fatalities resulting from vehicle crashes. Vehicle collision is the second leading cause of firefighter fatalities.

How can we get better at educating the public about first responder safety? The Emergency Responder Safety Institute has some tools that your agency can use not only for internal staff training but for public education:

• How to Safely Pass An Emergency Scene is a four-minute video that shows what drivers should do and should never do!
• Responder Safety has videos and education materials about various subjects related to roadway incident safety that can be shared with the public.
• Slow Down Move Over has more videos and best practices, and can act as a great public service announcement (PSA)!

The Emergency Responder Safety Institute also has tools for staff training, including a number of Roadway Safety Shorts training videos that illustrate key safety practices when responding to roadway incidents such as lane blocking, fire apparatus backing safety, and safe positioning for an ambulance at roadway incidents.  

Guest blogger Troy Walsh

Feel free to use the links above to get the word out to the public — include them in a city newsletter or play the videos at fire hall public events. 

Highway safety has always been an issue for first responders, and continuous public education and first responder training is critical in ensuring a safe scene!

If you have any questions, you may contact Troy at twalsh@lmc.org or give him a phone call at (651) 281-1231

Remember: Responder Safety = Public Safety

Up next: Background Investigations and the Minnesota Human Rights Act

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful -
Troy